Fishing-net



A. WOLF HSHING NETu APPuzATmn HLED 1ULY13,1920.-

Patented Jan. 18, 1921.

.4 TTOR/VEYS UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

pANTHONY worm, or LONG IsLANncrrY, NEW 12031:. j

1 Application filed July 13,

To all who/nit may concern:

Be it known that I, ANTHONY WOLF, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Long Island City, borough of Queens, in the county of Queens and State of New York, have invented a newand Improved FiShingNet, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to fishing nets and has particular reference to hand operated devices and especially to nets comm0nly employed for crabbing or landing fish that are caught on hooks.

Among the objects of the invention is to provide a fishing not having a practically rigid frame adapted to be disconnected from the handle and folded so as to occupy a small amount of space.

Another object of the invention is to pro vide a fishing net having a frame and means for pivoting the frame to a handle or other analogous support, the framebeing of difreference characters designate the same parts I ferent forms at the opposite ends and adapted to be swung end to end so as to bring the desired end into operative or forward position, depending upon the locality in which the device is to be used.

With'the foregoing and other objects in view the invention consists in the arrange ment and combination of parts hereinafter described and claimed, and while the inven- "tion is not. restricted to the exact details of.

construction disclosed or suggestedherein, still for the purpose of illustrating a practie cal embodiment thereofreference is had to the accompanying drawings, in which like in the severalviews, and in which- Figure 1 is a perspective view showin my improvement withthe frame adjusted v for operating'along a pile orthe like. j

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section ontheline 2-2 of Fig. 1. H

Fig. 3 is a plan view ofthe metal portion of the net folded.

Fig[ 1 is a plan view of themetal portion or frame work indicating the position of the frame with the square end forward as for operating along a relatively flat surface.

lieferring now more particularly to the drawings I show my improvement as comprising a handle 10 made up of anyrsuitable number of parts detachably connected each to each as by means, of ferrules 11, while the lowermost section of the handle is provided with a socket including a'metal ferrule or sheath 12having an opening 13 in one side FISHIl ING-NET.

y if Specification of Letters Patent i Patented an. 18, 1921. i

1920. Serial No. 395,874.

preferably threaded or laced upon the frame 17 permanently, and in accordance withthe usual practice of such nets the bag portion of the net is adapted to be turned in and out through the frame. At the central portionsof the sides of the frame are pivots 19 through which the frame is connectedto a.

bail or fork 20 having a shank portion 21 adapted to project into the socket at the lower end of the handle. The catch 14. is adapted to snap into the interior of the shank 21 whereby the bail is locked to the handle. This manner of attaching the frame to the bail adapts the frame to be turned around the; axis of the pivots so as to present either the straight end, or the curvedend forward, depending upon the 10-. ral ty in which the net 1s being used. For

instance for operating the net 11 warda1ong the lowermost section pile or other submerged bo y having a curved surface the end 18 will be adjusted forward as shown in Fig. 1,} but ifthe net tobe used'along the bottom ofthe water or other relatively flat surfacethe straight end will be presented forward as shown in Fig. 4. The adaptability of the net to turn in and out through the framefacilitates this end to end adjustment of the frame.

Any suitable means may be provided to lock the frame in adjusted position and preferin ably in the plane ofthe bail. To'this end I provide a pair of keepers 22 each having an eye 23 surrounding the pivot between the adjacent side bar of the frame and the pivot portion of the bail. This eye portion of the keeper serves in addition to its function as av connectionfor the keeper to act as a spacer between the frame and the bail whereby cutting or shearing of the net is prevented. Incidentally also saideye serves to facilitate the swinging of the frame and net around the axisfof the pviots. Each keeper comprises also a loop 24 and a spring shank portion 25 between the loop and the eye. 111s normal'form of the keeper is such that theshank 25 tends to hold the loop engaged over theshonlder or corner portions 26 and 27 of the bail and frame respectively. I

It will be noted that the keepers 22 occupy very little room and the arrangement is such that-"contact between the same andany obstruction or obstacle in practice will not tend to release the loops from their normal holding position. In; order to swing the frame, however, with respect to the hail the opera- .tor simply grasps the bail with bothhands and withhis thumbs will spread the keepers outward as'shown in dotted lines in Fig. 4 setting free the frame and ,netto swing around, the pivots, and when so swung l throughl degrees the keepers on being relateral halves of the bail. Since these pivots are. all in alinement it is obvious that with the netdisconnected from the handle l by releasing the catch 14:, the framework and net may be folded directly around the longitudinal axis of the pivots as shown at Fig. 3, and with the handle 'made in relatively short sections detachably connectedlasindicated the whole device may be packed in a very small bundle.

, YVhile for some purposes the frame is preferred toibe locked by the keepers in the plane ofthe bail, making the frame essentially rigid with the bail, it is obvious that frame, one end-of which is concaved, a rigid upon the release of the keepers from the shouldhportioirs 27 of the frame the net may swinger suspend freely below the handle anjdbaihif for example the net is to he used as a dip net or 1ts equivalent, the frame at this time being free to pivot on the piv- I claim: 7 Q 7 "[1. In a fishing net, the combination of a frame having ends of different forms, sup-,

porting means for the frame including transverse pivots intermediate ofthe ends adapt ing theframe tolbevswung end to end, and means toprevent the swinging of the frame.

,2. In. a fishing net, the combination of a support forthe frame, a pair ,of coaxial pivot's connecting the side portions of the frame to said support, and keeper means 00- operating with the support and frame to normally hold the frame from movement around its pivots. 7'

3. In afishing net, the combination of a "rigidsupport, a frame movably connected to' the support, one end of the frame being ofdifl'erent, form from the other, and means cooperating between the frame and the support to lock the frame in operative position so as to present the desired end of the frame for use.

4. In a fishing net, the combination with a handle, a bail connected to the handle, a net,'a frame to which the mouth of the net is attached and. through which the net is adapted to move freely, and means to pivot the middle portions of the sides of the frame to the bail whereby the frame is adapted to occupy any desired position with respect to the bail, and means for locking the frame against pivotal movement.

In a fishing net, the combination with a net, frame and a bail in which the frame is pivoted to swing, of keeper means ar ranged to embrace adjacent portions of the frame and bail to hold them in substantially the same plane.

6. A device as set forth in claim in which the keeper means comprises a keeper on each side of the not and each having a loop surrounding the adjacent corners of the frame and bail.

7. A device as set forth in claim 5 in which the keeper means includes a pair of keepers on opposite sides of the not each having a loop, a spring shank and means to connect the keeper to the pivot portion of the frame and bail, the tendency of the spring shank being to hold the loop pressed inward toward the opposite keeper and in position to embrace adjacent portions of the frame and bail.

8. In a fishing not, a frame, a support ineluding a pair of arms straddling the frame, said frame pivoted at its central portion to turn within the arms of the support, spring held bails adapted to lock the frame against turning movement within the support, said frame and support each comprising a pair of hinged sections adapted to be folded against each other and locked against opening bysaid bails.

9. As a new article of nmnufacture, a fishing net comprising a net supporting frame having ends of different forms, a ha ndle located in the normal plane of the frame and means for locking the frame in position with either end locked adjacent the handle.

10. In a fishing net, the combination of a frame, a bail, means to connect the frame to the bail, and a series of longitudinally arranged coaxial pivots connecting the frame and bail. to fold one half of the structure over upon the other half.

11. In a fishing not, the combination of aframc, a bail, means to connect the frame to the bail, said bail being jointed so as to fold one half over the other. the bail including 4 a shank, a handle having a socket into which the shank of the bail is projectable, and a catch cooperating with the jointed part of the shank to lock the same in the socket.

ANTHONY WOLF.

ill) 

